Products are commonly packaged in boxes, containers, or cartons (collectively referred to as “containers”). A container generally begins as a container blank, which is generally formed from a sheet of paperboard material, although other materials may be used. A container blank may include various score or fold lines about which the blank is to be folded, according to the desired configuration of the container to be formed from the blank. After a container blank is formed, it may be converted into an erected container.
Container erecting operations may be carried out on high-speed automated machinery. Typically, one of the first operations performed by this machinery is to fold the leading and trailing flaps of a container blank about their respective fold lines. Current automated systems perform the folding operations associated with the leading flap with a first piece of tooling, and the trailing flaps with a second piece of tooling, the second piece of tooling being at a separate location on the conveying system from first piece of tooling.
Heretofore, no automated system has been developed for folding the leading and trailing flaps of a container blank using an integrated piece of tooling or at a single integrated location on a conveying system.